Denture with check valve means



g- 4, 1959 s. J. KOPECETAL DENTURE WITH cx-n-zcx VALVE. MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1956 INVENTORS,

R CE "T 0:.- KL J W Y M L R O ME 86 AIJoImsv Aug. 4, 1959 5. J. KOPEC ET AL DENTURE WITH cmzcx VALVE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. s, 1956 FIG. 6

IN V EN TORS.

STANLEY J. KOPEC ORGE W. LEITER DENTURE WITH CHECK VALVE MEANS Stanley J. Kopec, Northville, and George W. Leiter, Novi, Mich.

Application'December 3, 1956, Serial No. 626,005

7 Claims. (Cl. 323) This invention relates to dentures and, more particularly, to upper artificial teeth and dentures.

Artificial dentures are held in place on the gums of the user by suction created in a channel around the dentime between the denture and the gums of the user. The channel of the bottom plate provides sufiicient suction to hold. the bottom plate in place during chewing and/or talking. The top plate, however, must be supported by sufficient suction to overcome its weight as well as other forces thereon. In order to provide sulficient suction between the denture and the users gums to support an upper plate, it is necessary to have the plate extend completely across the roof of the mouth of the user. This'provides the desired suction but has the undesirable effect of keeping the food eaten by the person having the plate from engaging the roof of his mouth and, therefore, eliminates some of the taste and other pleasurable sensations of eating.

. It'has been discovered that by providing a particular shaped gum channel in-a denture, it is possible to have enough suction created to hold the top denture in place in the mouth of the user. The gum channel may be split up in sections in order to facilitate manufacture.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to overcome the difliculties experienced by prior users of dentures and, more particularly, it is an object to provide a denture which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a denture having'a gum channel therein which has a specific sealing means for sealing the denture to the gum of the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a specific venting means having check valves therein for use in a denture.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying. drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a denture according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken away view of the denture shown in Fig. 1;-

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross section shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view 'of another embodiment of the invention;-

Fig. 6 is a view in cross section of still another embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are cross sectional views of other embodiments of the invention.

Now with more specific reference to the drawings, in

Patented Aug. 4, 1959,

0 facings 12 and posterior facings 13.. The teeth are attached to the base 11 of plastic or vulcanized rubber in the customary manner.

A channel 20 which receives the gum of the user has a marginal outwardly directed'ridge portion 21 onthe inside surface of the outside wall and a similar portion 22 on theinside surface of the inside wall disposed therearound. The ridge portions 21 and 22engage the gum of the user and form a seal around the edge thereof between the' gum and the walls of the base 11. Holes 24 are bored through the side of the base 11 and counterbored at 25. The counterbore 25 receives athin flexible diaphragm like member 26 made of rubber or other flexible material. The member 26A has vent holes 27 therethrough. The diaphragm material acts as a check valve to allow air to'pass out through the holes 24 and through the vent poles 27 but when air attempts to pass in,

the diaphragm '26 will engage a bottom surface 29 of the counterbore 2 5 and form a seal thereon.

Similar check valves 30 may be formed by providing holes through the teeth similar to the hole 24 with a suitable check valve 31 thereover. The check valve'30 could be substituted for check valve 19 or vice versa following the particular desires of the designer.-

When the user fits the denture 9 to his mouth, his gum entering-the channelZfi will force airout through the check valve 19. The ridge portions-21 and 22 will prevent air from reentering. If the denture 9 tends to be removed, the check valve 19 will block theentrance thereof and a suction will be created, holding the denture 9 in place. Partitions 33 will prevent air from flowing from onepart where a good suction has been established to another less strong suction. The partitions 33 will sealingly en: gage the lower edge of the gum of the user.

Fig.- 10 shows another embodiment of the invention wherein a base 111 has a plurality of teeth attached thereto in the usual manner. The base 111 has a bore 114 therein 'counterbored at each end at 115 and 116, respectively. The counterbore 115 -has-a tooth 113 fixed therein and the-counterbore 116 has a pad or porous ruhber insert 117 to prevent having the gum of the user pull down into the bore 114.

A ball 118 is disposed in a-counterbore 119 in the base 111 and communicates with a hole 120. which registers withthe bore 114. The ball 118 may be-made of plastic, metal, or other suitable material and is urged up? wardly into engagement with surfaces 121 by a compression type helical spring 122. An insert 123 plugs a lateral bore-124 which communicates with the counterbore 119. The insert 123 having a hole 125 allows air to escape from the space defined by a surface within the base 111. Therefore, when the gums of the user are inserted into thespace within the surface 150 and the user bites down with the teeth 113 against the other teeth, air will be driven from the space Within the Surf face 150 out of the check valve formed by the ball 118 and out through the hole 125; however, aircannot return into thesaid space because the spring '122 willhold' the ball 118 against the surface 121.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention wherein a base 211 has a channel 250 therein for receiving the gums of a user. The plate has teeth 213 fixed in the usual manner. The valve mechanism in Fig. 5 is disposed in a counterbore 219 which communicates with a bore 214 in the base 211. A ball check valve 218 is urged into engagement with a seat 221 by a compression type helical spring 222 which rests on an insert 223. The insert 223 has a hole 224 for allowing air to escape in the manner above described in connection with Fig. 10. Therefore, when the user inserts his gums into the space defined by the channel 250 and presses down thereon, the air will be exhausted through the bore 214 past the valve 218 and thence out the hole 224 but the air cannot return. Therefore, a suction will be created between the users gums and the plate.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7, a base 311 is shown having a gum receiving space defined by a surface 350 therein with teeth 313 next to the base 311. At least one tooth of each plate is hollow having a bore 320 therein which communicates with a bore 314 in the base 311. The bore 320 is connected to a vent bore 321 by means of a counterbore 319. A ball valve 318 is situated to close the bore 320 and is urged by a helical coil spring 322 in the same manner as in the other embodiments of the invention. A lateral bore 324 is formed in the base 311 and a plug 330 is inserted in the bore 324 which plugs this opening. This opening can be used for access to the bore 321 to service or replace the spring 322 of the ball 318.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. with the exception that the pad 117 is not used herein and bore 414 is straight through instead of having a counterbore like the counterbore 116 for receiving the saliva gland.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of the invention similar to the aforesaid having a base 511 with a bore 519 communicating with a bore 514 in the base 511. A helical spring 522 is inserted in the bore 519. A vent opening 524 is formed in the tooth communicating with the bore 519. The helical spring 522 has a thin resilient disk 518 attached to the upper end thereof. The disk 518 is adapted to sealingly engage the lower surface of an insert 551 which has a plurality of spaced bores 552 therethrough which allow air to be extruded from a space 550 by the gum of the user but prevent the air from returning because of the check valve action of the disk 518.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 9, a base 611 is similar to the corresponding parts of the other embodiments; however, the base 611 is somewhat curved and the space defined by a surface 650 is formed to conform to the gums of the user. Teeth 613 are attached to the base 611 and a bore 614 is formed through the side of the base 611 to communicate with the space of the surface 650 therein. An insert 651 is inserted into the bore 614 and has spaced openings 652 therethrough. The insert 651 is in the nature of a suction cup and may be made of metal, plastic, or other material and permanently fastened in the plate.

Upon pushing the plate up onto the upper gum, it packs saliva into the space in the surface 650 and is released through the small openings 652. On release of pressure, the gum blocks the opening 652 and acts as a check valve, thereby preventing any air from returning thereinto. It will be seen that slight ridges 653 are formed on the surface of the base 611 on the inside thereof to form a ridge or seal against the gum of the user.

The teeth in all of the embodiments shown in Figs. 5 to 10 can be held in the base by serrated surfaces around the outer surface of the teeth as shown in Fig. 2 at 60. The teeth having check valves therein will be spaced at spaced locations such as valve teeth 32 shown in Fig. 1. Also, the valves in the teeth or the valves communicat- 4, ing with the insides of the spaces and between the sides of the base may be partitioned as in Fig. 1 by the partitions 33. These partitions may be made of soft rubber or other suitable material and the ridges 21 around the upper inner edges of the base lips may be made of soft rubber so as not to irritate the gums of the user.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A denture comprising a cavostructure having teeth thereon, said cavostructure having an upwardly directed channel therein adapted to receive the gum of a user, said channel having a bead disposed around the inside of the sides thereof adapted to provide a seal between said cavostructure and the gum of a user, a bore through said cavostructure, a bore through one of said teeth communicating with said bore through said cavostructure, said bore in said tooth being counterbored from the outside end thereof, a ball shaped check valve in said counterbore, and a compression type spring urging said ball into engagement with the end surface defining one end of said counterbore.

2. The denture recited in claim 1 wherein the inside end of said bore through said cavostructure is counterbored and a saliva impervious insert is provided therein.

3. The denture recited in claim 2 wherein a plug is inserted in said lateral bore and a small bore through said tooth communicates with said counterbore.

4. The denture recited in claim 3 wherein a small opening is formed in said plug.

5. A denture comprising a cavostructure having teeth thereon, said cavostructure having an upwardly directed channel therein adapted to receive the gum of a user, said channel having a bead disposed around the inside of the sides thereof adapted to provide a seal between said cavostructure and the gum of a user, a bore through said cavostructure and a bore in one said tooth communicating therewith, a plug in said cavostructure bore having openings therethrough, a fiat member in said bore outside said plug, and a spring urging said flat member into sealing engagement with said plug.

6. The denture recited in claim 5 wherein a lateral vent hole communicates with said bore in said tooth and the outside thereof.

7. A denture comprising a cavostructure having teeth thereon, said cavostructure having an upwardly directed channel therein adapted to receive the gum of a user, said channel having a bead disposed around the inside of the sides thereof adapted to provide a seal between said cavostructure and the gum of a user, a bore through said cavostructure and a bore in one said tooth communicating therewith, and a plug in said cavostructure bore having openings therethrough, the inside surface of said plug being adapted to be engaged by the outer surface of the gum of a user of said denture whereby air may pass out of said cavostructure but will not pass thereinto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,019 Balger Aug. 26, 1913 1,184,187 Linares May 23, 1916 1,337,622 Reese Apr. 20, 1920 2,029,945 Rubinstein Feb. 4, 1936 2,510,184 Lynn June 6, 1950 

